Management Consultancy for Sainsbury: Resolving Issues of Changing Customer Behavior

This report discusses the management consultancy provided by Accenture to Sainsbury, a retail company, to address the challenges of changing customer behavior due to COVID-19. It covers the rich picture, analysis A and B, and recommendations for improving performance and market share.

Effective Management
Consultancy

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART-1 RICH PICTURE................................................................................................................1
PART-2 – SOFT SYSTEM METHODLOGY -ANALYSIS A......................................................2
PQR........................................................................................................................................2
CATWOE CONCEPT ...........................................................................................................4
The 3 E's ................................................................................................................................5
The root definition..................................................................................................................6
PART -3 SOFT SYSTEM METHODOLOGY- ANALYSIS B.....................................................6
Choice of new stakeholder.....................................................................................................6
Activity model.......................................................................................................................7
CATWOE...............................................................................................................................7
PART-4- RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................8
CONCLUSIONS..............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Management consultancy is practices of helping or supporting organisation to enhance
their overall performance and attained their desired goals in the best possible manner. The
company provide support services on the basis of understanding of external factors and needs of
clients so that necessary solution can be drawn. This report is about Accenture management
consultancy that is multinational professional technology services which provide various
supports related to digital, tactical and strategic to clients. Moreover, it is global company that
has employees around 514000 that are working together so that better services can be render to
several clients.
The client of company is Sainsbury operating in retail industry that is suffering issue
related to changing customers behaviour in context of covid-19 that has adversely impacted on
profitability and sales volume of firm. This report has contained key information related to Rich
picture, analysis A and Analysis B and at last recommendation the way company can enhance its
overall performance and retained competitive market share.
PART-1 RICH PICTURE
Rich pictures is Soft system methodology that are mainly constructed by interviewing
people to gathered relevant information pertaining to specific topic. It consists of seven main
stages that start with articulation of specific problem, identifying alternative system and
recommendation for key actions. In order to provide consultancy to Sainsbury regarding
resolving issue related to changing customers behaviour can be illustrated as follows:
Structure: It can be stated that covid-19 is pandemic situation that has affected all of the
business operating in retail industry of United Kingdom as it lead in changing customers
behavioural pattern. So, due to continuous spread of diseases has contributed in increasing
concerned among individual related to their health, safety and well-being. Thus, it directly
impacts on overall sales volume and profitability of organisation (Zemmel, 2018.).
Process: It is element that explained about transformation that needs to be brought in the process
so that key issue can be resolved. Accenture management consultancy has provided effectively
guidelines and supports to Sainsbury related to formulating various strategies that could be
helpful in attracting and retaining maximum customer's within organization. Such as in covid-
19, people are interested to have purchase from company that are taking steps towards their
1

health and safety. Therefore, it has suggested that organization needs to transform its process of
delivering services so that needs of customer's can be fulfilled.
Concerns: This is elements of rich picture that specify about the major concerns or issue faced
by firm such as retail industry is facing situation of decrease in overall profit and sales because
of covid-19. So it has motivated Sainsbury to take assistances of Accenture management
consultancy in order to resolve concerns or key issue and more benefits can be enjoyed buy
company (Motamedi, 2019).
2
Impact of Covid on customers
behavior and overall profitability
of organization
Stakeholders of
Company are
concerned about their
invest made in the
organization.
Due to covid-19
Customers wants to have
products and services from
company that ensure their
health and safety.

Therefore, from the rich picture, it can be stated that key stakeholder that are affected
form the pandemic situation are all organization that are operating in retail industry of UK as
their sales and profit has been declined. Such as employees has been affected as company due to
covid-19 as companies are trying to adapt to new procedures and policies so that services can be
rendered to customer's as per their expectancy. Due to covid-19, customers are getting more
confused as well as concerned about their health so it has resulted key issue for them to select
products and services of specific company (Nissen, Seifert and Blumenstein, 2018). Moreover,
shareholders of company are also affected as due to decreased in their sales their overall return
has decreased to maximum level. The boundary of the problem is more as it has affected overall
whole retail industry of UK as people are less interested to make unnecessary purchase to
satisfied their wants. So it can be stated that the problem of covid-19 is wide as it has resulted in
decrease in revenue of companies operating in retail industry.
PART-2 – SOFT SYSTEM METHODLOGY -ANALYSIS A
It has been identified by manager of Sainsbury that company is facing challenges related
to changing customers taste and preferences after covid-19 which further resulted in decrease in
overall sales volume of firm. So, there are several models that has been used such as PQR,
CATWOE, root and 3 E that helps management in taking right decision that can be helpful in
resolving the key issue in better manner. Such as:
PQR
It is the important formula related to root definition that explained about the way
question can be positioned from the perspective of different stakeholders. So the main goal of
the model is to describe about what is the ideal system from perspective of certain stakeholder
that is defined by (P). Q specify about the way system work and R clarified about why it is
necessary for stakeholder want the system. There are three stakeholders of company that are
related to the issue (Kantanen, 2017). Such as:
3
Sales volume as well as
profitability of retail industry
has decreased to some extend
because of impact of
corovirus

Key stakeholders What How Why
Customers These are individual
that make purchase of
all essential products
from supermarket so
that their daily needs
can be fulfilled in best
possible manner. Thus,
Sainsbury is place for
customers where they
can make have
products as well
services to meet their
needs.
Company by cleaning
and sanitizing the
place at regular basis
can ensure safety and
health of customer's.
Furthermore, they
expect that Sainsbury
provide products such
as organic that are
better for their health
as well-being
(Maksim, 2018).
Covid-19 has affected
their health and well-
being, so they want
company that are
taking actions towards
maintaining social
distancing.
Shareholders For this company is
type of investment that
they have made in
order to earn
maximum return. So
they are interested in
growth and smooth
operation of business.
Organization by
understanding
changing customer's
in context of covid-19
can easily provide
better return to
investors.
Key steps need to be
taken related to
understanding
changing customers
preferences from
perspective of
shareholders as they
have invested money
in the firm (Li, Lam
and Wong, 2017).
Employees For employee's
Sainsbury is place at
which they work to get
specific amount of
remuneration. So, as
per their perspective
Another stakeholder
that is employee's can
be made happy when
company will teach
the new method
through which they
Company by adapting
with recent trends can
easily enhance its
market share and
profitability. Thus
employee's are able to
4

enterprise should earn
profit (Zhuges and
et.al., 2019).
Therefore, they can be
employed within
organization for more
time frame.
can deliver services to
customer's so that it
can enjoy maximum
market share.
enjoy better wages and
salaries for high living
standard.
CATWOE CONCEPT
CATWOE Concept is another model that contribute in solving problem by looking at six
different prospectives thus it contributes in thinking towards particular problem in varieties of
manner. Different stakeholder has different perspectives so this model contributes in
understanding each in better manner so that right decision can be taken to resolve specific
problem. So it is techniques that are used by business analyst in order to identify actual goals of
company, areas where it is facing problem and the way it affects different shareholder’s
perspectives. Such as:
Customer's: These are key stakeholders that make purchase of products and services in order to
satisfy their wants and desired. Sainsbury by brining change in its method of delivery of services
that is ensuring more health and safety, adapting itself as per trends and taste of customer's can
provide benefits to people (Fonseca, 2018). Therefore, company by changing its process and
procedures as per the situation can meet customer's requirement in effective manner.
Actor: These are employee's of company that contribute in brining transformation within
organization so that it can enjoy maximum market share and profitability. Likewise, Sainsbury
has talented, skilled and motivated employees that are ready to accept change or new procedure
to deliver services to customer's.
Transformation: It is elements that specific the way company wants to bring specific change or
transformation in the organization. Such as covid-19 is change that has impacted on customers
taste and preferences so company has decided to take more steps to ensure health and safety of
people by offering products that are more hygiene and sanitized.
World-view: There are different stakeholders as well as parties that are interested in operations
of business's so the pandemic situation has adversely impacted them. Likewise, it can be stated
5

that employees, shareholders and customers of Sainsbury have different view points related
problem of Covid-19 that resulted in change of taste and preference of customer's.
Owners: These are stakeholder such as investors that are interested in smooth operation of
business as they have invested huge amount of capital to get maximum return. At the same time
they have more authority to take all necessary decision related to company. So, Accenture
management consultancy has advices Sainsbury to change its operations as per customers needs
so that maximum outcome enjoyed by investors (von Platen, 2018).
Environment: Company operates in external environment, so it is responsibilities to take steps
related to protection of environment. So Sainsbury while making several changes as per external
environment needs to abided to all legal laws, protect environment as well as people living in the
society. Moreover, time, resources as well as budget acts as environment constraints for
company related to problem that is faced by retail industry.
CATWOE 1 (Customers): Customers wants to have products and services that are better for
their health and well being
6
T, W Customers
Owner are investors of
Sainsbury that has invested their
capital in order to earn
maximum return
Actors- employees of
Sainsbury
Impact of
company on
environment
Worldwide: employees, shareholders
and customers

CATWOE 2 (Investors): They wants maximum return on the capital invested
CATWOE 3 (Employees): These are stakeholders that are interested in growth of company so
that they can be employed for more years.
7
T, W
Worldwide: employees, shareholders
and customers
Owner: The shareholders of
Sainsbury are the owner of the
company. As they have invested their
capital in order to get maximum
return. So they are the investors
whose has been affected due to
situation of covid-19
This are individuals whose behavior
has impacted due to covid-19
Sainsbury have bring change in
its operation or make us e of
digital technology to meet
customers expectancy.
T, W
Owner are investors of
Sainsbury that has invested
their capital in order to
earn maximum return
Employees are stakeholders that wants
to have better salary so they are
concerned in profit and sales of
Sainsbury
Worldwide: employees,
shareholders and customers

The 3 E's
It is another mode that is used to consider about various measures of performance that
are ideal systems. Efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency are three good benchmark that helps in
refining the process. The reason for 5 E's that has been selected for resolving the problem related
to changing customer's behavioural can be explained as follows:
Efficacy: The transformation in process of Sainsbury related to effective adaptation of ever-
changing customers needs contribute in getting better outcome. This can be easily measured
through analysis sales volume and profitability of company (Weiss, 2020).
Efficiency: It is stage at which it will be checked that transformation resulted in minimum use of
resources such as recently most of the people wants to have products and services at reasonable
rates. Stakeholders such as employees of Sainsbury has tried to make the best utilization of
available resources so that better value can be delivered to range of customer's in order to meet
their respective changing needs.
Effectiveness: It can be stated that Accenture management consultancy by changing its process
and procedures according to customers needs can achieve higher level or longer term aims. Such
as Sainsbury by ensuring health, safety and wants of customer's is able to make people happy
and satisfied thereby leading growth of organization in external environment (Simpson and
Williamson, 2017).
Ethical: Another things that has been considered by Sainsbury while implementing
transformation to resolve changing customer's expectancy is moral and ethical principles. As per
Accenture management consultancy Sainsbury manager need to be more ethical and moral while
taking any decision so that no harm can be caused to any individuals.
Elegant: Moreover, it can be stated that the change that Sainsbury is planning to bring in order
to cope up with changing customer's preferences must be clearly defined or minimum number of
elements needs to be present. So, manager of company needs to tried to avoid messiness by
clearly defining roles and responsibilities needs to be performed by specific individuals.
8

The root definition
From the PQR formula it can be stated that there are some of the stakeholders that are
affected by issue that has been faced by Sainsbury while performing its several tasks. Therefore,
the several stakeholders that has been affected by problem or challenges faced by company in
recent circumstances can be illustrated as follows:
Employees: Likewise it can be stated that employees of Sainsbury are highly talented, skilled
and qualified that effectively conduct market research in order to gathered information related to
existing taste and preferences. There are ready to accept changes that are happening in external
environment due to covid -19 that can yield in maximum sales volume of firm.
Customer's: With covid-19, people are mostly like to make only purchase in order to have
social distancing or contact with maximum number of individuals. So, it can be stated that
sainsbury by ensuring health and safety and changing needs of people in its procedures is able to
retained competitive advantages (Sánchez-Lara and Flores-Choperena, 2020).
Shareholders: These are stakeholder that have invested money in the organization to enjoy
more profit margin so they are affected by Covid-19 as it resulted in decreasing overall sales
volume and profitability of company. Furthermore, company is facing challenges related to
changing customers behavioural therefore Accenture management consultancy has decided to
take steps to fulfil needs of customer's so that more profitability can be earned by company.
PART -3 SOFT SYSTEM METHODOLOGY- ANALYSIS B
Choice of new stakeholder
The previous analysis was of the stakeholder of company such as employees, customer's
and investors that helps in getting information about the challenges that Sainsbury is facing
related to change in customer's preference that leads in reduce profitability. So, government is
also one the stakeholder that is interested in operations of company in retail industry as they
contribute in GDP, employment generation and production within society. Therefore, several
model will helps in understanding the stakeholder related to the concepts such as:
Stakeholder What (P) How (Q) Why (R)
Government The ideals system in
eye of government is
taking appropriate
action by companies
The system will
contribute in teaching
the way products can
be delivered to
The system of
maintaining social
distancing, ensure
safety measure is
9

related to cleaning and
sanitizing the stores as
well as products,
maintaining social
distancing. So that
people can stay and
live healthy and fit
longer time frame
(Kovinko and
Posvalyuk, 2017).
customer's so that
sales and profit can be
enjoyed by company.
Thus, country have
sufficient employment
and GPD rates.
necessary as it will
contribute in saving
life of people and
smooth flow of
economy.
Activity model
It is model that is used to illustrate the way particular system works thus it outlines the
sequence of steps that has been taken by manager to remove necessary challenges and contribute
in achievement of end objectives of company. So, it designs the sequences in which several
activities that need to be performed so that Sainsbury can cope up with changing customer's
preference. Such as government needs to take steps such as design policies or procedure for
company to ensure that they implement safety measures so that people are ready to make
purchase even in the scenario of Coivd-19. Moreover, it leads to reduce tax rates so that
company can easily provide products and services to customer's at minimum prices therefore
they are motivated to have products in order to satisfy their wants. Therefore, it can be stated
that all these activities will contribute in overcoming challenges that are faced by company due
to impact of covid-19.
10

CATWOE
This model specially focused on stakeholder that is government and suppliers of
company that has affected because of Covid-19 as it resulted in purchase of products and
services. Government is responsible for smooth flow of economy that means it must have high
GDP rates and low employment so that people can live better lifestyles. So, in this government
acts as ensuring that all rules and regulations has been abided by the company while completing
its task for benefits of people living in the society (Zhuge and et.al., 2019). At the same time it
can be stated that Suppliers also needs to understand customer's needs and preferences to
provide various raw material that can be used by Sainsbury to delivered better services to
customer's and enjoy more profitability.
CATWOE 4 (Government)- It is interested in growth of economy.
11
Identified actual
needs of customers
Demographical, physiological
and income are three basis of
segmentation of target customers
Marketing manager
conducted research related to
existing taste and preferences
of customers
INPUT
Employee
Digital
technology
Use of content
marketing
Market
Budget
Time
Resources
Make strategies
that could motivate
customers to be
part of Sainsbury
Contribute in
enhancing
profitability.
Products and services will
be given by ensuring
health and safety of
individuals
Manager will find
alternative
method to get
maximum
outcome
If strategy is
fruitful
If strategy is
not fruitful
OUTPUT
Enhance in
company
profitability
Better
customer’s
satisfaction.
Increase in
sales volume

PART-4- RECOMMENDATION
From the above study it can be stated that there are few suggestions as per Accenture
management consultancy that could be used by Sainsbury in order to overcome the problem and
retained its market share. Such as it has been identified that company is facing issue related to
changing customer's preferences in context of Covid-19 which can be illustrated as follows:
 It is recommended that Sainsbury needs to make more use of digital technologies in
order to get necessary information related to existing taste and preferences of customer's.
Thereby find alternative method regarding the way their needs and wants can be satisfied
so that company can grow and sustain business for longer time frame.
 The second suggestion is that company in order to overcome challenges related to ever-
changing customer's preference needs to have better organizational structure and culture.
Therefore, that employees are highly motivated to accept various changes related to taste
and preferences of customer's so that company can retained its market share (Fonseca
2018).
 The third recommendation is that company through taking feedback of customer's about
their relative taste and preferences can resolve the issue of changing customer's needs.
Such as company by making use of email marketing can collect information from people
12
T, W
Transformation process as per worldwide
view that is used of digital marketing and
more safety measure are taken for health
of people.
Owners
Government: It is
facing issue related to
economic slowdown
that has resulted in
increase in
unemployment rates
and decrease in GDP.
Wants safer products and
services to meet their needs.
Actor: Government as
it is taking steps to
promote growth of
economy.
Environment: All steps has been taken
by Sainsbury to protect environment
such as made optimum utilization of
resources.

about their recent trends and preference. Thereby form strategies that could be fruitful for
expansion of firm in retail industry of United Kingdom.
 Customers are most crucial individuals for organization as they make purchase of
products and services that leads in increasing overall sales volume and profitability of
company. There are various factors that influences taste and preferences of customer's so
company while deciding particular strategies need to considered them in order to retained
maximum sales volume.
 Accenture management consultancy has also suggested that sainsbury needs to provide
training and development to existing employees about the way they can adapt
transformation related to delivery of services to customer's. So, that company can meet
customer's expectancy and enjoy more sales and market share (Nissen, Seifert and
Blumenstein, 2018).
CONCLUSIONS
It can be concluded from above study the company is recently facing issue related to
changing customer's preferences due to covid-19 that resulted in decreasing company sales as
well as profitability. Accenture management consultancy has suggested several strategies as
well as modifications that could be made by organization to meet customer's requirement and
enjoy more profit for longer time frame. It can also be summarized from above analysis that
there are various key stakeholders that has been impacted from the issue as well as change that
company wants to bring to retained its profitability. So, at last it can be concluded that Sainsbury
needs to motivate employees to take steps to satisfied needs of customer's so that various
stakeholder of company can be happy and satisfied.
13

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Fonseca, A. F., 2018. Representing pictures with emotions. arXiv preprint arXiv:1812.02523.
Kantanen, H., 2017. Value co-production through external communication
consulting. Corporate Communications: An International Journal.
Kovinko, A. M. and Posvalyuk, O. I., 2017. MARKETING TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING
SERVICES. In Current scientific research (pp. 193-197).
Li, Z. C., Lam, W. H. and Wong, S. C., 2017. Step tolling in an activity-based bottleneck
model. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 101. pp.306-334.
Maksim, K., 2018. Knowledge Management System Design for Audit and Consulting
Companies.
Motamedi, K., 2019. Transorganization change consulting. Academy of Management paper
presented, Boston, MA.
Nissen, V., Seifert, H. and Blumenstein, M., 2018. Chances, risks and quality criteria of virtual
consulting. In Digital Transformation of the Consulting Industry (pp. 137-151).
Springer, Cham.
Sánchez-Lara, B. and Flores-Choperena, O. E., 2020. Consulting as a Systemic Intervention
Process. In Problem Solving In Operation Management (pp. 47-64). Springer, Cham.
Simpson, J. L. and Williamson, J., 2017. Consulting. The International Encyclopedia of
Organizational Communication, pp.1-11.
von Platen, S., 2018. Communication Consulting and Consultancies. The International
Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication, pp.1-9.
Weiss, E. N., 2020. Frameworks for General Management and Operations Consulting.
Zemmel, R. W., 2018. A Career for Life Scientists in Management Consulting. Cold Spring
Harbor perspectives in biology, 10(11). p.a032946.
Zhuge, C and et.al., 2019. Sensitivity analysis of integrated activity-based model: Using
MATSim as an example. Transportation Letters, 11(2). pp.93-103.
14